Gina Rodriguez develops Dreamer dramedy in the midst of DACA furor

SHARE Gina Rodriguez develops Dreamer dramedy in the midst of DACA furor
screen_shot_2017_09_06_at_12_48_30_pm.png

“Jane the Virgin” star and Gina Rodriguez is producing a new series tied to DACA issues. | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

As the headlines are chock-full of about President Trump’s decision to end the DACA program protecting undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, “Jane the Virgin” star Gina Rodriguez is making her own headlines with news of her hourlong dramedy series “Illegal” for the CW network.

As first reported by Deadline.com, “Illegal” — produced by Chicago native Rodriguez — will focus on the family of a teen who is one of the estimated 800,000 “Dreamers” living undocumented in America. The proposed series is one of two projects Rodriguez and her I Can & I Will Productions have inked with CBS TV Studios. The other project, “Have Mercy,” is a medical drama for the CBS network that is based on the German program “Dr. Illegal.”

Rodriguez, who found fame and won a Golden Globe for “Jane the Virgin,” has long been a major supported of undocumented immigrants.

“Illegal” will be written and co-executive produced by “Jane the Virgin” writer Rafael Agustin, inspired by his own experiences as an Ecuador native who grew up in America. It was not until he was in high school that he learned he was undocumented — like his parents.


The Latest
A conversation with NBC horse racing analyst Randy Moss at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, paved the way for the former Blackhawks analyst to join the production.
Schriffen’s call of Andrew Benintendi’s walk-off homer last Saturday was so palpable and succinct that he could’ve stopped talking sooner and let the viewer listen to the crowd before analyst Steve Stone shared his thoughts. But Schriffen continued.
Inspired by Pop-Tarts, Netflix comedy serves jokes that are just as weird and flat
More than 1,200 people have signed a petition to stop Johnson’s Chicago, a Florida-based male strip club, from opening at 954 W. Belmont Ave.
A project that was stymied under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot could open in 2025 now that there’s an agreement on security measures for the nearby Jardine Water Filtration Plant.